Angling destination loyalty – A structural model approach of freshwater anglers in Trysil, Norway

Abstract

For many Nordic winter destinations attracting customers in the summer is a challenge. Angling is one of the summer activities that can help develop year-round tourism at a destination. Knowing which factors influence angling destination loyalty and how to manage these factors for different market segments is therefore important. We investigated how destination image, place attachment and satisfaction influenced anglers' destination loyalty through a structural equation model. Data are from a survey of 379 tourist anglers at the popular winter destination Trysil in southeast Norway. Our results show that increasing loyalty to an angling destination managers and tourism development actors can foremost influence the image and satisfaction level of anglers. This could be done through information campaigns to anglers combined with improving angling quality. On a larger area like in Trysil one should manage for diversity in regulations to avoid marginalizing certain angler groups and create conflicts.

Angling tourism: A state-of-the-art review

“…At the same time, a more pristine environment directly improves satisfaction, emphasising the importance of proper environmental management (see also Lee, 2016). Stensland et al (2021a) also confirm that satisfaction is the most significant component affecting destination loyalty, while image and place attachment contribute to loyalty. Stensland (2010Stensland ( , 2012Stensland ( , 2013 underlines the importance of grappling with and understanding landowners' heterogeneous perspectives on fishery management in terms of fish stocks and conservation (see also Gonzales et al, 2020), in which tourism development is unprioritised.…”